Channeling machine



y 3 A. E. DUNHAM v 1,805,719

CHANNELI NG MACHI NE Filed June 22. 1928 I Fig.1.

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Patented May 19, 1931 ALBERT E. DUNHAIVI, 0F BROCKION, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG-NOR TO UNITED MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSQN, NEVV' JERSEY, A CORPGBATIO N OF NEW JERSEY Application filed June 22,

This. invention relates to channeling and roundingand channeling maclnnes. The invention is herein illustrated as embodied in a 7 machine adapted to channel and to round 1" and channel the outsole of a shoe after the sole has been temporarily secured in place preparatory to permanent attachment to the shoe.

Rounding and channeling machines have been made heretofore in which an auxiliary channel knife is employed to deepen the channel made by the main channel knife so as to form a wider channel flap along the shank than around the forepart of the sole. In operating upon molded soles the operation of deepening; the channel presents a spec al problem inasmuch as the shank portlon of a molded sole is more or less abruptly ofi set from the forepart of the sole and accordingly it is necessary, when operating near t 20 118 junction of the shank and forepart, for the operator to tilt the, shoe so as properly to present the sole margin to the knives and thereby insure against the possibility of cutting the channel flap or otherwise inutila-ting the sole. i

In view of the foregoing one object of the present invention is to provide an improved machine of the class above referred to which is particularly well; adapted for operation upon molded soles. v

lVith this object in view, and in accordance with one feature of theopres'ent invention, an auxiliary channel knife is mounted for move? mentto and'from an operative position sub stantially in the plane of a main knife for cooperation with the main channel knife to cut a channel. of increased depth in a sole, and the auxiliarylniife is so constructed and so arranged relatively to the main knife, when the auxiliary knife is inoperative position,

that the auxiliary knife will cut substantially in line with the main knife. In the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated the .ary channel knife is mounted directly behind the main knife and. lies inthesame plane as the main, knife whether oneratively or inoperatively positions Asshownr the auxiliary knife, has a cutting edge which slopes downwardly toward the tip or lower onannnnine rancnrnn 1953 Serial No. 287,575

rear edge of the main knife and because of j the inc ed path of movement of the auxiliary kn fe, the latter is enabled'to be opera tively positioned with the operative portion of its cutting edge located closely adjacent to the vertical cutting edge of the main knife and with the lower extremity or tip: ofthe auxiliary knife substantially in vertical alinement with the cutting edge of the main knife, 7

thereby adapting the auxiliary knife to out substantially in line with cutmade by the main knife. This arrangement, together with the sharp slope of the cutting edge of the auxiliary knife insures-that when a sole is tilted about the vertical cutting edge of the main knife asan axis, the auxiliary knife will offer no substantial resistance to the tilting of the shoe and, accordingly, there will be no apprec1able tendency for either knife to mutilate the sole. The auxiliary knife, as

herein shown is formed with a curved neck connecting the blade with the shank; of the knife, the constructionbeing such that when the knife 18 thrown into operationthe curved neck portion will provideclearance for the;

edge of the channel flap so to prevent the flap from being distorted, while the shank of the knife is offset sufficiently from the neck to avoid interference-with the usual rounding knife with which the machine is provided and which isnecessarily located'closeto the chair c nel knives.

-A rounding and channeling machine of the 7 type hereinbefore referred 'to is provided with a movable forepart gageandthe auxiliary knife is' connected with the forepart gage, througha common actuator, move e t of which is transmitted both to the knife and to the gage. In operating uponthe soleo'f a shoe, in such a machine, it is desirable and customary for the operator to lower the forepart gage into contact with the shoe at a point a substantial distance rearward of the ball line on the side of the shoe first presented to the machine, although on the opposite side of the shoe it is desirable to raise the forepart gage just forwardly of the ball line. When cutting the channel deeper along the shank portion than around the forepart of the sole, it is desirable to have the deepened portions of the channel join the shallower portion substantially at the ball line at each side ofthe shoe. in order to permit the forepart gage to be lowered and raised at such points relati -rely to the ball line as above indicated, while permitting the auxiliary channel knife to cut in and cut-out substantially at the ball line, provision is made, in accordance with another feature of the present invention, for delaying both the thrmring in and throwing out movements of the auxiliaryknife. As illustrated, this result is obtained by providing for lost motion between the common actuator, above referred to, and the auxiliary knife, the arrangement being such as to cause a substantial delay to take place, after the forepart gage has been lowered, before the auxiliary knife is thrown out, and to cause a comparatively small delay to take place after the forepart gage has again been raised before the auxiliary knife is returned into operative position.

The invention further consists in features of construction and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of so much of a rounding and channeling machine as is necessary to illustrate the application of the present invention thereto;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, showing particularly the main and auxiliary channel knives and the manner in which they are mounted Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the main and auxiliary channel knives illustrating their relation to the work, the auxiliary knife being shown in normally inactive or retracted position;

Fig. 4 is a perspective View similar to Fig. 3 but showing the auxiliary knife in advanced or operative position;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the parts of the machine shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a view of a rough-rounded and channeled sole, illustrating the operation of the auxiliary channel knife in deepening the channel along the shank portion of the sole; and

Fig. 7- is a conventional side elevational view of a shoe illustrating particularly the manner in which the shoe is tilted about the cutting edge of the main channel knife as an axis when channeling around the portion of the sole margin near the junction of the shank and forepart of the shoe.

Referring to Fig. 1, the invention is illustrated as embodied in a rounding and channeling machine which in its general organization is substantially like the machine disclosed in United filtates Letters Patent No. 1,030,606, granted June 25, 1912, on application of F. H. Perry. The illustrated machine, in common with the machine above referred to, is provided with a rounding or trimming knife 8; a work support 10 which functions also as a crease guide; a channel knife 12; a feed plate 1 1 which is vibrated to feed the work and which also acts as a cutting block; a forepart guide 16 which is carried on the front end of a lever arm 18; and a rock shaft 20 having securedthereto an arm 22 upon which is mounted the channel knife 12. All the above-named parts, except the channel. knife 12, are constructed and arranged in substantially the same manner as.

in the machine described in said Letters Patent and substantially similar mechanism is provided for actuating them.

The channel knife 12, of the illustrated machine, is fixedly secured to the rock shaft arm 22. For this purpose, the knife 12 is provided with a shank portion 24; (Figs. 3 and l) extending at right angles to the operative extremity of the knife 12 and the shank portion 24: is fixedly secured, by means of a clamping plate 26, to the upper end of the rock shaft arm 22, the shank portion 2% being received within a recessed portion of the arm 22 between undercut shoulders 28 and 30 on the arm 22 and the clamping plate 26 respcctively. The clamping plate 26 is held in place by means of a binding screw 32 (Fig. which is threaded into the rock shaft arm 22, the head of the screw bearing against the clamping plate. A sole support 34:, integral the support Set for engaging the middle portion of the sole. The supports 3% and 36 are smoothly finished and suitably rounded to avoid undue friction with the sole and, as shown, the support 36 is formed upon a member secured to the arm 22 with provision for in-and-out adjustment relatively to the sup port 34 to facilitate the positioning of the sole as desired relatively to the rounding and channeling knives.

The illustrated machine is also provided with an auxiliary channel knife 40 (Figs. 2 to 5) for cooperating with the main channel knife 12 to form a channel of increased depth along the shank portions of the sole margin. As shown, the auxiliary channel knife 10 is located directly behind the main channel knife 12 and iscarried by a knife block or slide l2, mounted in a guideway la in the rock shaft arm 22. The blade or operative portion of the auxiliary knife 40 is connected by a curved neck 46 with a shank portion 48 which extends: at rightangles to the knife blade. The neck 46, beingoffset upwardly from the shank portion 48 of the auxiliary knife, affords clearance'for the edge of the channel-flap when the auxiliary knife is operating, while at the same time enabling the a binding. screw 56 to the knife slide. The binding screws 32 and 56 are adapted to be loosened to permit adjustment of the channel knives 12 and 40. for the purpose of positionmg the blades or operative portions of the knives in the same vertical plane;

The blade of the auxiliary knife is longer than the corresponding portion of the main knife 12 so that the lower portion of the auxiliary knife may be moved to a position below the main channel knife for the purpose of co-operating with the latter to cut a channel of increased .dcpth along the shank portion of a sole. The cutting edge, of the main channel knife 12- is indicated at 60in Fig.8, and the cutting edge of the auxiliary channel knife 40 is indicated at 62, while the direction in which the work is fed to the channel knives indicatedby the arrow 64; In order that the tip or lower portion of the'auxiliary knife 40 may heimoved substantially into vertical ali'nemcnt with the cutting edge 60 of the main knife while the bladeof the auxiliary knife remains in the plane of the blade ofthe main knife provision is made for movthe auxiliaryknife in an oblique path arranged to cause the cutting edge 62 of the auxiliary knife to move toward the cutting edge 60 of the main knife as the auxiliary knife is lowered intoiactive position. To this end the guideway 44 in which the knife slide 42 is mounted is inclined, as best;- shown'in' Fig. 5. The blade of themainknife 1-2is formed. with abeveled rear edge 66, and the cuttingedge 62 of the auxiliary knife is. inclined substantially in the direction of-movenient of the knife slide 42. This arrangement permits the auxiliary knife to lie close to the main knife to insure that the extent of movement which is imparted to the auxiliary knife, for the purpose of deepening the chan- 'nel, will'be sufficient to advance the tip of the auxiliary knife substantially into vertical 'alinement'with the cutting edge ofthe main knife When, during operation at the junction f'the' shank and' forep'artof amolded sole, 1 operator I tilts the shoe as :hereinhefore described, the tilting movement takes place about the cutting edge ofthe main cutting connections consisting of an arm 74 on 'the knife as an axis. This will clearly be understood upon reference 7 wherein the channeling 'operationfl is illustrated as having progressed substantially to the abrupt curve between the shank Sand :theuforepart F of a molded sole, at whichstage it is neces sary for-the shoe to be tilted by the-operator in the direction indicatedv by the arrowf It will be appreciated,therefore, thatif at this time the auxiliary knife is operatively posi tioned with its tip or lowermost portion sub stantially in vertical alinement'with the cut- J ting edge of the main knife, little, if any, substantial, amount of resistance will be of- U fered by the auxiliary knife to the tilting of the shoe. Accordingly, there will be little, if any, tendency for either knife' to cut through the channel flap or otherwise to mutilatethe sole. ;The auxiliary knife slide 42 is operated for the purpose of moving the-fauxiliary knife to and from operativeposition by connections with a rock shaft mounted in bearings 7 2beneath the rock shaft 20, these rock shaft 70 and a'linkTG cOnneCtingthe "arm 7 4 with the lower extremity of the'knif'e slide 42. *The arrangement is such that when the auxiliary knife is operatively positioned, q the, pivotal connection between the-link 3 -6 and the'knife slide 42 will be icoaxial'with the rock shaft20, as'shown in Fig; 5, 'and thus the rocking or' vibrating of the rock I I shaft arm 22 for thepurpose of feeding the t; work will not interfere with themaintenancc $1100 of the desired co-operative relation between the main and auxiliary knives or, in other words, the auxiliary knife will be held in fixed relation to'the main knife insgite of the rocking of the arm 22 relatively t-e the arm 24.

The rock shaft 70 is connected with the lever arm 18 which carries the forepart; gage, and with a treadle for operating the forepart gage by means of mechanism which, with one exception hereinafter referred to, is substantially the same as 'corresponding mechanism shown and described in the abovementioned Letters Patent No. 1,030,606. A's

herein illustrated, an arm;78' fixedtothe ""1715" rear of the rock shaft 'ZO is connectedby a: link 80 w th one arm of a bell crank lever 82, the other arm of which is connected by a rod 84 with a lever 86 having a cam slot 88 formed therein. A roll 90 which is'received 2 in the cam slot 88 is carried by a rearwardly extending arm of a three-armed actuator lever 92fwhi'ch is fulcrumed at 94 upon the frameof the machine. A'forwardly extend ing arm of the actuator 92 is connected by a T treadle rod 96 with a treadle (not shown) ,A n' upwardly extending arm of the lever 92 is 1 connected by a link 9? withthe lever arm-"18 which carries the fqrepart gage.- Normally the forepart gage 16 occupies an elevated 3 its position retracted from the work while the auxiliary channel knife is operatively positioned, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, for the purpose of co-operating with the main channel knife to cut a channel of increased depth. In passing from the shank to the, forepart of a sole at the side of the shoe first presented to the machine, the operator, by depressing the treadle connected with the treadle rod 96, lowers the forepart gage into engagement with the shoulder and raises the auxiliary channel knife out of operative position. After the channeling operation has proceeded around the toe and approaches the junction of the shank and forepart at the opposite side of the shoe, the operator releases the treadle, causing the forepart gage to be raised or retracted and the auxiliary channel knife to be lowered or advanced into active position.

Fig. 3 shows the relative positions of the main and auxiliary channel knives when the I auxiliary knife is retracted into inoperative position. Fig. 4 shows the relative positions of the knives when the auxiliary knife is thrown into operative position. As shown in Fig. 3 the auxiliary knife isarranged to be retracted only a sufficient distance to insure that it willnot project beyond the tip of the main knife and fans, when sole is being operated upon, the auxiliary'lniife, even when inactive, is still located within the channel in the sole and the entire movement of the auxiliary knife is efieetive to vary the depth of the channel. r

In F ig. 6 the relatively shallow portion of the channel which extends around the forepart of the sole is indicated at C while the deeper portions of the channel. along opposite sides of the shank are indicated at C, C As shown, the deeper portions of the channel join the shallower portion thereof substantiallyat the ball line B. In order to enable thisresult to be accomplished while permitting the operator to lower the forepart gage at a point rearward of the ball line at the side of the shoe first presented to the machine and to raise the forepart gage slightly before the ball line is reachedat the opposite side of the shoe provision is made, in the A illustrated machine, for a certain amount of lost motion between th actuator 92 and the auxiliary knife actuating mechanism during movement of this lever in a direction to lower theforepart gage. To this end, the slot 88 in the lever 86 is designed so'that its lower portion 98 will be substantially concentric with the pivot of the actuator 92 vhen engaged by the cam roll 90. Above the concentric lower portion 98 of the slot 88 is a cam portion 100 shaped to produce a quick movement of the auxiliary knife both on'the upward movement of the cam roll 90. for the purpose of retracting the knife, and on the downward movement of the roll 90, for the purpose of advancing the knife into operative position. The slot 88 is further provided with an upper portion 102 which is also arranged to be substantially concentric with the pivot of the actuator 92 when engaged by the cam roll 00. The length of the upper concentric portion 102 of the slot 88, however, is substantially less than the length of the lower concentric portion of the slot so that only a relatively small amount of lost motion is allowed to take place between the actuator 92 and the lever 86 during the raising of the forepart gage. The portion 102 of the slot 88, therefore, while permitting the cam roll to rise above the cam portion of the slot, allows for only a relatively small amount of lost motion on the downward movement of the roll as the forepart gage is being retracted from the work. In the above-described arrangement, the lost motion provided for by the lower portion 98 of the slot 88 enables the operator to depress the forepart gage treadle and lower the forepart gage into con act with the work at a substantial dis tance rearward of the ball line and substantially before the auxiliary knife is retracted at the side of the work first operated upon while, at the opposite edge of the sole, the raising of the forepart gage and t e throwing in of the auxiliary knife are caused to work more nearly simultaneously. Furthermore, by reason of the abruptness of the pitch of the cam portion 100 of the slot 88, a quick movement is imparted to the auxiliary knife at both sides of the shoe thereby causing the throwing in and the throwing out of the auxiliary knife to be ei iected so quickly that little if any opportunity is afforded the operator to vary the timing of these movements by means of the forcpart gage treadle. This arrangement, therefore, tends to insure uniformity of channel margins in different soles.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a channeling machine, a main channel knife and an auxiliary channel knife movable to and'from an operative position substantially in the plane of the main knife for cooperating with the main knife to cut a channel of increased depth in a sole, the auxiliary knife being constructed and, when operatively positioned, arranged relatively to the main knife to out substantially in line with the main knife.

2. In a channeling machine. in combination, a main channel knife, and an auxiliary channel knife movable to and from an operaiveposition for co-operating with the main knife to cut a channel of increased depth in a sole, the cutting edge of the auxiliary knife being inclined relatively to the cutting edge or the maln knife, and the auxlliary knife being arranged, when operatlvely positioned,

to have a portion of its cutting edge in line with the cutting edge of the mainknife 3. In a rounding and channeling machine, in combination, a main channel knife having a vertical cutting edge and a rear edge sloping upwardly and rearwardly from thebot tom of the cutting edge, and an auxiliary knife for co-operating with the main knife to cut a channel ofincreased depth in a sole,

the cutting edge of the auxiliary knife'b'eing substantially parallel to the rear edge of the movable in the plane of the cutting edge of the main knife from an inoperative position in which the cutting edge of the auxiliary knife is spacedrearwardly of the cutting edge of the main knife to an operative posilllOIl in which the knives are located with their cutting edges closer together in a direction lengthwise of the channel.

5. In a channeling machine, in combina tion, a main channeling knife, and an auxiliary knife for deepening the channel made by the main knife, the auxiliary knife being mounted for movement in the plane of the cutting edge of the main knife from an in operative position to an operative position in which the cutting edges of the knives are located closer together than when the auxiliary knife is in its inoperative position 6. In a channeling machine, in combination, a main channeling knife, and an auxiliary knife for deepening the channel made bv the main knife, the auxiliary knife being I mounted for sliding movement in the plane (iii of the cutting edge of the main knife and in a direction inclined to the cutting edge of the main knife between operative and inoperative positions in which positions respectively the auxiliary knife is effective and ineffective to deepen the channel made by the main knife.

T. In a channeling machine, in combina tion, means for feeding the work, a main channeling knife having a straight cutting edge extending substantially at right angles to the direction of work feed, and an aux iliary knife for deepening the channel mad-e by the main knife, the auxiliary knife being located behind the main knife in the plane of the cutting edge of the main knife and having its cutting edge inclined relatively to the cutting edge. of the main knife and the auxiliary knife being mounted for sliding v movement in the direction of its cutting edge toward and from an'operatlve PO SllZlOIl,

, 8. In a roundmg and channeling machlne,

in combination, a rounding knife, a mainchanneling knife, an auxiliary knife for deepening the channel made by the main.

v gage and the auxiliary knifefor moving the auxiliary knife into operatlve pos1t1on when the forepart gage 1s thrown out of operation.

9. In a channeling machine, in combination, a'main channel knife, and an auxiliary channel knife movable to and from operative position for co-operation with the main knife to form a channel of increased depth in the sole, said members beingrelatively arranged a to render the-entire movement of the auxiliary knife effective to vary the depth of the channel.

10. In a rounding and channeling machine,

in combination, means for feeding work at right angles to the'direction of work feed,

a main channel knife having a cutting edge extending at right angles to the direction of feed, and an auxlliary channel knife movable to and from operative position' for 00-. l.

operation with the main knife in a path angularly disposed with respect to the cutting edge of the main knife to form a channel of increased depth.

11. In a channeling machine, in combination, a main channel kn1fe, an auxiliary knife for deepening the channel made by the main knife, a forepart gage, an actuator for raising and lowering the forepart gage, and connections between the actuator and the auxiliary knife for throwing in the knife after the forepart gage has b'eenraised from the Work and for throwing out the knife after the forepart gage has been lowered toward the work, said connections being constructed and arranged to delay the throwing out of the knife more than the throwing in of the knife.

12. In a rounding and channeling ma chine, in combination, a main channel knife,

an auxiliary knife for co-operating with-the main knife to deepen the channel, a forepart gage movable to and from operative position, and connections between the forepart gage and the auxiliary knife constructed and arranged'to provide lost motion between said gage-and said knife duringthe movement of said vgageto operative position to delay the throwing out of the knifeand also to provide lost motion between said gage and said knife during the movement of the gage from operative position to delay the throwing in of the knife.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. I 1

ALBERT, E. DUNI-IAM.

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